Jul 15, 2015

The number of concealed carry handgun permits has skyrocketed since President Obama was first elected, while murder rates have fallen, according to a new report set to be released Wednesday.

Since 2007, the number of concealed handgun permits has soared from 4.6 million to over 12.8 million, according to the report from the Crime Prevention Research Center.

And the number is increasing faster every year. Over 1.7 million new permits were issued last year — a 15.4 percent increase from 2013, according to the report. It is the largest-ever single-year increase in the number of permits.

The number of people that carry concealed handguns is likely even higher, since permits are not required in seven states.

More women are getting permits than men, the report stated. Since 2007, permits for women have increased by 270 percent and for men by 156 percent.

At the same time, murder rates have fallen from 5.6 to 4.2 per 100,000, about a 25 percent drop. Overall violent crime also fell by 25 percent, according to the report.

The report’s researchers attribute the uptick in permits to Mr. Obama’s election. …